Toilets for all: Jharkhand's Sanitation Policy

The document titled ‘Sanitation Policy of Jharkhand’, by the Government of Jharkhand, serves as a guidance manual to follow the directives of the Nirmal Bahrat Abhiyan (NBA), a government programme to tackle open defecation in rural India.

The sanitation campaign in Jharkhand began in 2002-2003, and since then 225 villages have been granted the ‘Niramal Gram’ title. However, the 2011 census reveals contrasting statistics on the ground-only 8% of households in the state have toilets.

Part I of the policy paper illustrates:

• information on the existing sanitation status of Jharkhand
• view on the sanitation policy of the country
• how to interprete it in context to Jharkhand

Part II is divided into 3 segments:

Policy statement: The policy statement attempts to collate the various steps and the methodology to be adopted for Jharkhand to become a 100% open defecation (OD)-free state. Besides the construction of toilets for every household, the policy also stresses on the drinking water availability and hygiene conditions of the villages.

Institutional system required to undertake the scheme: In this context, the state has already appointed experts to share their technical inputs as part of state schemes such as the Water & Sanitation Support organization (WSSO) & State Programme & Management Unit (SPMU). The fund flow and its disbursement is also detailed here. A State Resource Centre is to be created to act as a medium of knowledge and information between the states and the districts.

Operational guidance: The important activities to be undertaken and their implementation are covered here. Depending upon the household number and population, funds will be sanctioned. The Department of Drinking water & Sanitation (DWSD) too will have an important role to play and must collaborate wherever possible with Self Help Groups, business houses and other stakeholders involved.

In the end, it stresses on how the Jharkhand policy needs to continue with its community-based sanitation approach keeping in mind the special considerations of its nearly 27% tribal population and its 1/3 rd area covered by forest. This community-led total sanitation is not to be focused simply on building infrastructure, but on changing cultural norms to prevent open defecation.

For further details, download the 'Sanitation Policy of Jharkhand', in Hindi.